|
United flight 512 lands in Boston at 3:26 p.m. Not good news.
Especially when my connection to Hyannis is in only 16 minutes
I bolt off the flight at 3:32 p.m. in Logan's C terminal, spot a United Customer
Service Rep, and ask, "Where's Cape Air?"
He says, "Oh, that's easy. Walk to the end of C. Leave the
building. Head to the curb. Wait for the bus, that'll take you to
the A terminal."
I exclaim, "Wait for the bus?"
He asks, "What time is your flight?"
My response, "3:42. Why?"
He confidently proclaims, "It'll take you about 15 minutes to get there?
You'll never make it!"
I run for the curbside. Luckily, an airport shuttle bus pulls up. I
hop on, grab my cell phone, call Cape Air, explain my predicament and
request that they hold the plane.
The Cape Air agent says, "You're kidding." I reply, "No,
I'm serious. I really need your help. Please call the gate and ask
them to wait." He says, "Hang on, I'll be right back."
A minute later, he says, "Okay, if you can get there within the next five
minutes, they'll wait."
I thank him. At 3:45 p.m., I jump off the bus, run into terminal A and
streak for the escalator. At the top, I quickly scan the gates...and spot
Cape Air's counter. As I am running toward the counter, the Cape Air agent
says, "Mr. Blackman, we've been expecting you."
I gratefully respond, "Thanks so much for your help Lynn.
How do I get to the plane?" He says, "Sorry sir, it
left."
Surprised, I say, "But I thought you were expecting me?!"
He says, "Well we were, but we had to leave...that's our policy."
I ask, "When you say leave, do you mean leave the gate or leave the
ground?"
He says, "Oh, the plane is still here, but it pulled away from the
gate...so we can't board you now."
I politely say, "Lynn, I really need your help. How can you let me on
that plane?"
He sternly replies, "I can't. There's nothing I can do."
I turn to Cindy, his counter compatriot. "Cindy, you look like the
right person for this opportunity. Who can you talk to...that will
give us a yes decision?"
Lynn says, "What do you mean?"
I answer, "I need Cindy to find somebody to say yes to me...and I'm
confident that she will."
Lynn folds his arms...and sighs, "Hmmph!"
Cindy views my request as a challenge. For I have now empowered her to
rise to the occasion. To seize the moment. To grab for glory. To get me out of Boston!
Cindy grabs the phone and shouts, "ALAN..."
I ask, "Who's Alan?" Lynn says, "The pilot!"
Cindy continues, "Alan...Mr. Blackman is HERE...will you wait for
him?"
She then looks at me and asks, "Mr. Blackman...what do you weigh?" I
answer, "How much do you want me to weigh?"
She says, "Oh forget it. Alan
will wait for you. Run! Run!"
I fly down the stairs, shove open the tarmac door and run to board a twin prop
with Alan...and four passengers.
Phew! I made it. But for the next thirty minutes, I served drinks
and peanuts!
Moral:
Be politely persistent.
Stay calm.
Be in control.
Never feel like a victim.
Ask questions that get you closer to your goal.
Spend no time with non-decision makers.
Find people who can either say yes...or can significantly
influence another decision maker to say yes.
When you get the decision you want...get outta there. Fast!
|
